


Chili and Family

by Merfilly



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-07-08
Updated: 2006-07-08
Packaged: 2017-11-27 04:26:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/657997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy has unexpected guests while the two most important ladies in his life are asleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chili and Family

**Author's Note:**

> Set Post Infinite Crisis, but Pre-OYL, and very definitely AU to the latter.

Roy was the one to open the door, almost groaning as he saw Connor and Mia standing there with beer, chips, and assorted party items. Neither of them looked positively happy, but Mia did smile at him.

“Ollie’s dragging the chili up,” she warned.

“Family bonding time,” Connor added, as Roy opened the door further for them both.

“Freakin’ fantastic,” Roy grumbled, just as Mia and Connor saw that Roy already had company in the form of a sleeping Dinah Lance on his couch, with Lian curled up in her arms. “Let me go tell him to be quiet. She’s freakin’ exhausted.”

“We’ll be quiet,” Mia promised, slipping past to take her stuff to the kitchen, after exchanging a glance with Connor. This day had just gotten interesting in the extreme for they both, and they wished they could see Ollie when Roy intercepted him.

That was happening in the hallway now. Ollie had opened his mouth to bellow out a greeting, and Roy had cut him off with a stern daddy-type ‘shh’ and finger over the lips.

“Lian asleep?” Ollie asked, unrepentantly, but quieter. Roy nodded.

“So is Dinah, though, and if you are going to bring everyone over uninvited, you are going to behave and let the woman have a peaceful day!” Roy rubbed his face where he had not shaved all day, feeling the itch of stubble. “Please, please tell me that Manitou chick won’t be showing up.” He had completely missed the look of shock on Ollie’s face that his former lover was at his son’s apartment.

“No, Dawn and I have…well, it wasn’t the best of things to get involved in,” Ollie said, focusing there on that rather than the image of Dinah in Roy’s home, sleeping. He could not seem to move past that, and it got worse as they entered to find the angelic vision of his granddaughter curled there in the blonde’s arms, both asleep in the land of the completely oblivious and innocent. Roy helped carry the chili into the kitchen, noting that Ollie lagged, etching the imagery into his mental eye. It was enough to make him want to paint again.

When Ollie did enter the kitchen, it was to find all three of his kids staring at him with an expectant look, though Roy’s was tinged with suspicion. He wondered what the fuss was about; he and Dinah had been on very civil terms for months now.

“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s with the silent inquisition?” he asked.

“Mia wants to know if you are going to invite her to stay as soon as she wakes up.” Connor cut to the chase for once.

“It’s Roy’s place,” Ollie began testily.

“And you are the only person in this place who could make her uncomfortable enough to leave,” Roy countered. Ollie sighed, shaking his head. Ever since the night Dinah called him, asking for his help on the mob connections in Star City, it had been odd between them. They were striving to find a solid friendship, and being forced to team up so much in the aftermath of Sue’s death. She had even worked hard at his side to help save Dawn from The Key, pushing him to be the Shining Knight for the Damsel in Distress. Finally, when the battle for Metropolis had ended, she had actively looked for him, making sure he and his family were safe.

“Alright. When she wakes up, I’ll be the one to ask her to stay,” he relented. He did not want to consider what that entailed, when his whole plan had been about bonding and growing closer. It was not that he did not want to grow closer to the feisty vigilante; quite the contrary, he missed her in his life as much now as ever. He merely knew that was not where they needed to go in the aftermath of the stress and trauma they had all suffered.

“Best behavior,” Mia warned him, before setting the pots up to reheat. “She’s a pretty nice woman, you know, Ollie. What in the world did she ever see in you?” It was intended to be lighthearted teasing, and Ollie decided not to let it be anything but.

“Back then I was rich and handsome and famous,” he joked. “What was not to like?”

“Maybe the ego,” came the sultry voice from behind him. They all turn to the door to see the object of their discussion standing there, her hair slightly mussed with sleeping, and her beautiful face half bemused, half teasing.

“Di, I’m sorry,” Roy quickly said. “I had no idea…”

“That’s alright, sweetie,” she told him, walking over to Mia and hugging her. “It was the chili smell that woke me.” She then gave Connor a hug of his own. “Lian is still asleep. She’s clutching the plushie Arsenal that Oracle sent her,” Dinah told Roy, brushing his cheek with her own. That left Ollie, and he braced himself to not have the luxury of feeling her close, moving to start stirring the pot to avoid the situation. He was absolutely floored when she moved right into his space, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

“Hello, pretty bird,” he rumbled. “Stay for chili?” he pressed, his arms enfolding her as chastely as he could.

“Of course, Ollie.” And suddenly, the day was bright enough to blot out all the horrors.


End file.
